Introduction: The Tide Rises Over the “Two Lakes”
Centered around West Taihu Lake and Changdang Lake, Changzhou is developing an innovative ecological lake bay city. This project sits at the heart of the “Two Lakes” Innovation Zone, where the planned central innovation axis intersects with the cultural and tourism development belt surrounding the lakes. Covering approximately 45 acres, the site is bordered by the Yongjia River to the north, offering serene waterscapes; urban green forests to the east, providing a beautiful environment; West Taihu Lake Avenue to the west; and Lanyue Road to the south, facing Lanyue Bay Waterfront Park across the street.
△ Location Analysis
As a flagship project within the “Two Lakes” Innovation Zone, the Planning Exhibition Hall offers more than just a space for relaxation and sightseeing—it also serves as a showcase for the city’s history, urban planning, and construction achievements. The design team sought to blend the charm of Jiangnan with modern techniques, creating an accessible, interactive, and forward-thinking “window to the city.” This approach makes the development of the innovation zone more visible, tangible, and engaging for visitors.
Chapter 1: Intention · Origin of the Jiangnan Seal
The entire project was designed and completed within a tight 100-day schedule, making it imperative to deliver high-quality spatial design efficiently.
The design theme, “One Jiangnan Seal, Countless Literature from Around the World,” is embodied in the architectural form. The volumes resemble traditional seals, arranged in staggered and stacked configurations that create a rigorous and elegant structure.
Chapter 2: Layout · Experiencing Life and Travel
The architectural layout draws inspiration from traditional Jiangnan construction, aiming to evoke the spatial experience of “living, traveling, walking, and observing.” The main exhibition hall occupies a rectangular volume measuring 10 by 7 units at the center of the site, featuring four embedded courtyards.
These courtyards serve to separate and connect the exhibition hall’s diverse functional areas. The interplay of solid and void creates rich internal volumes within a defined external boundary, establishing clear spatial beginnings and endings. An auxiliary office annex is located on the east side, connected to the main hall via a corridor.
The spatial design reflects Jiangnan’s lifestyle: vertically organized living spaces centered around courtyards represent the structured etiquette of daily life, while adjacent or rear natural gardens express a longing for freedom amid rivers and mountains. Together, these elements capture the complete life and journey of Jiangnan people.
‘Living and Traveling’
The path from the entrance courtyard through the lobby to the central courtyard is carefully designed along a ceremonial axis. This layered spatial progression reinforces a sense of formality and calm, marking the “living” experience as visitors enter the exhibition hall and engage with the displayed planning content.
After leaving the digital sand table area and completing the visiting ritual, visitors proceed east into the “travel” section. Here, the water features in the east courtyard and the adjacent waterfront landscape invite guests to stroll and pause along the corridor, fulfilling the experience of “walking” and “watching.”
Chapter 3: Courtyards · Mastery in Landscape Design
Introduction: Entrance Courtyard – Jian Shan
The entrance courtyard is located on the south side. It recesses the building’s entrance hall inward, leading visitors through a courtyard space that enriches spatial layers, enhances the ceremonial feeling of entering the exhibition, and extends the spatial perception of the originally compact square.
The courtyard features a reflective shallow pool mirroring the park and square scenery to the south. A pine tree stands to the west of the entrance, welcoming guests above a winding stream. Although modest in depth, the courtyard’s use of open space, rhythmic design, plantings, and interplay of light and shadow brings vitality and warmth.
Looking back from the hall entrance, the layered trees of Lanyue Bay Park frame the view across the entrance square, while the dome of the Lanyue Bay Landscape Tower fits perfectly in the courtyard’s frame—like a full moon.
Central Courtyard – Valley Search
Beyond the entrance courtyard lies the central courtyard directly opposite the hall’s north side. This courtyard acts as a natural screen, presenting a serene, minimalist landscape shaped by changing natural light.
The courtyard features two carefully placed trees and spherical shrubs surrounded by white stones and grassy mounds, evoking a valley and radiating a Zen-like ambiance. Visitors can enter the exhibition hall to the west and later return to the courtyard from the east side, offering multiple perspectives to appreciate the space.
East Courtyard – Encountering Water
The east courtyard is the largest of the four, offering an open view that allows visitors to relax after touring the exhibition. The eastern boundary opens outward, incorporating the waterfront park’s scenery into the courtyard’s outlook. The other three sides form a circular corridor enclosing the lecture hall, conference room, and reception areas.
This courtyard is designed as a water garden, where the still water surface deepens the spatial experience. A solitary red maple stands at the pool’s southeast corner, while a distinctive tea pavilion extends into the northwest corner, creating a captivating landscape. The pavilion itself becomes part of the courtyard’s scenery.
The northern end of the corridor expands into a rest hall east of the lecture room, with an outdoor roadshow area outside—an extension of the lecture hall function. The southern end connects to Building 2, completing the spatial flow between the two structures.
West Courtyard – Youlin
A smaller courtyard lies on the west side, enveloping the internal office spaces. Visitors using the restrooms during breaks will also encounter this peaceful courtyard.
This narrow courtyard features several tall trees that create a peaceful atmosphere. At sunset, the slanting light filters through the branches and leaves, casting warm, dappled patterns on the ground.
Chapter 4: Framing Views – As Weighty as a Scroll
The courtyards shape the overall layout of the exhibition hall, while the substantial framing elements guide the visual experience and direct movement through the space.
Vertical Axis:
From the entrance courtyard gate heading north, passing through the exhibition hall entrance and the central courtyard frame, three framed views align to focus attention on the central courtyard. With each successive frame, the scale diminishes, extending the perceived depth through perspective.
Horizontal Axis:
From the lobby heading west, visitors enter the exhibition hall through two successive framed views. Two symmetrical frames facing east lead to the courtyard corridor on the east side. This symmetrical arrangement aims to create a spatial guidance that feels infinitely extended.
Vertical Axis:
The lobby is the intersection of the vertical and horizontal axes and features a vertical frame. Looking upward reveals a circular skylight hidden between the walls and ceiling. The ceiling appears suspended, allowing natural light to flow down from the surrounding walls, forming a luminous box that dynamically frames ever-changing light and shadow throughout the day.
Chapter 5: Appearance, Illusion, and the Charm of Water Towns
The exterior walls are predominantly white, emphasizing simple architectural volumes. This pure white backdrop enhances the seasonal beauty of the surrounding landscape and subtly reflects the white-walled aesthetic of Longcheng Water Town.
The exterior cladding consists of high-gloss pearl white honeycomb aluminum panels, ensuring smooth surfaces and enabling rapid on-site assembly. Modular panels sized 600, 900, and 1500 mm create a stacked texture that reinforces the volume and solidity reminiscent of the “seal” motif.
Several courtyards are enclosed by high-quality white glass, allowing unobstructed views between the building and the natural surroundings. Additionally, semi-transparent metal wire mesh and copper-patterned windows create boundaries that feel both open and secluded, conveying the misty allure of Jiangnan.
Chapter 6: Lighting — Balancing Motion and Stillness
Reflecting the essence of Jiangnan, the lighting design features pole projections flanking the south ceremonial square, painting a dynamic Jiangnan-inspired facade on the white walls.
Each courtyard is illuminated with a unique static lighting scheme: the entrance courtyard’s lighting enhances the entry axis and order; the central courtyard’s light interacts with white stones and pine trees to evoke Chinese Zen; the east courtyard combines lighting and water to create tranquility; and the west courtyard’s forest lighting fosters a sense of leisure and calm.
From an aerial perspective, the skylight in the central hall forms a square light strip at night, symbolizing the Jiangnan Seal motif in the night sky.
Postscript
With quick creativity, integrated design, multidisciplinary collaboration, and high-quality execution, the “Two Lakes” Innovation Zone Planning Exhibition Hall embodies a pure white Jiangnan imprint with a subtle pearl sheen. It reflects the clear waters and green mountains of the two lakes, capturing the transition from summer to autumn and celebrating 100 days of rejuvenation. The hall showcases the vision for Changzhou as an ecological, beautiful, technological, innovative, youthful, and future-oriented city.
Project Drawings
△ General Layout Plan
△ First Floor Plan of Building 1
△ Front View of Building 1
△ Section of Building 1
△ First Floor Plan of Building 2
△ Section and Elevation of Building 2
Project Information
Project Name: Two Lakes Innovation Zone Planning Exhibition Hall
Owner Company: Weichi Holdings Group Co., Ltd.
Design Company: Jiangsu Zhusen Architectural Design Co., Ltd. – GEN Jianhe Studio
Building Size: 9,500 square meters
Design Period: May 2022 – July 2022
Completion Date: September 2022
Lead Architects: Zhang Xu, Zhang Cheng
Design Team: Liang Zeyuan, Mihelaimu Aikermu, Dong Chao, Yu Qing, Shen Yunfeng, Qian Yun, Zhang Wanli, Meng Dan, Guo Jiacheng
Construction Drawing Design: Jia Jie, Hu Hong, Qu Yanli, Jing Ye, Liu Lei, Yao Yichen, Lv Yanjiao, Gong Feixue, Jiang Weishan, Lei Dong, Xu Qiuyu
Curtain Wall Design: Shakqin, Wang Yulong
Interior Design: Huang Jindong, Zhang Chi, Wang Jian, Xie Renjie
Landscape Unit: Shanghai To Special Landscape
Identification Unit: Shanghai Rucheng
Lighting Unit: Shanghai Huizhidu Lighting
Exhibition Unit: Impression Qiantu
Photographer: Architectural Vision
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